Computing devices have become a ubiquitous part of everyday life. In particular, millions of people may carry and use mobile computing devices (e.g., cellular telephones, MP3 players, laptops, Bluetooth headsets, etc.) throughout their daily activities. However, such computing devices (especially relatively small, mobile computing devices) may be easily misplaced by users and/or stolen by thieves.
Unfortunately, while traditional security mechanisms may enable a user to identify the location of a misplaced or stolen computing device after the fact, such traditional security mechanisms generally fail to alert the user at the point in time that the computing device is misplaced or stolen. As a result, the user may be unable to prevent the computing device from being misplaced or stolen in the first place. What is needed, therefore, is a mechanism for more effectively tracking computing devices and alerting users when computing devices are misplaced or stolen.